Qatar's healthcare ranks first in the Middle East

Qatar's health ranking within the Legatum Prosperity Index has risen in 10 years, from 27th in the world to 13th.

18 Mar 2018 11:06 GMT

Qatar's first aid ambulance service [Hamad Medical Corporation]

Qatar's health system has been ranked first in the Middle East and 13th best in the world by the 2017 Legatum Prosperity Index. The annual index measures and ranks the health of people living in 149 countries.

Qatar's health ranking within the Legatum Prosperity Index has risen in the past 10 years, advancing from 27th in the world in 2008 to 13th place at present.

A comprehensive review process assessed three key measures of the quality of each country's healthcare system, including basic mental and physical health, health infrastructure, and the availability of preventive care.

"To be ranked 13th in the world is a wonderful endorsement of the quality of care we deliver every day to patients across our health system, said Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari.

"The transformation of Qatar's health system in recent decades has been remarkable. We have made enormous progress in terms of both increasing capacity and advancing the quality of care. The growth has been rapid and rivals any country in the world in terms of the pace of change," she explained.

Hospitals in Qatar

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has opened seven new hospitals and numerous specialist facilities since 2011, significantly expanding its infrastructure and the range of services offered to patients.

In the last two years, HMC has opened four new hospitals across its Hamad bin Khalifa Medical City Doha campus: the Communicable Disease Center, Qatar Rehabilitation Institute, the Ambulatory Care Center, and the Women's Wellness and Research Center.

"We have invested in those things that matter most to patients. Our dedicated clinical teams at HMC provide rapid access to highly specialised services, delivering more than three million episodes of care to patients each year," explained Acting Chief Medical Officer at HMC Dr Abdulla al-Ansari.

HMC manages 12 hospitals, nine specialist hospitals and three community hospitals as well as the National Ambulance Service and home and residential care services.

In 2016, HMC became the first healthcare system across the globe to have all of its hospitals accredited by the JCI under its Academic Medical Center programme. It also holds prestigious accreditations for nursing, education and training, and laboratory and pathology, among others.